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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. object — to protest
  4. bear — the animal
  5. current — happening now
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. current — electric
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. craft — a skill
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. current — of water
  15. object — an aim
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. bark — to shout
  22. object — a thing
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. bear — the animal

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com